Research interests

Functional properties of materials at macroscopic and mesoscopic scales

Ferroic and multi-ferroic materials

Relaxation and dynamics in glassy systems

Development of optical and acoustic methods for materials characterization

Optical properties of materials

Current research projects

Domain boundary engineering

Flexoelectricity and polarity of complex ferroelastic twin patterns

Work experience

12/2016-Present, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi, China, Associate Professor.

01/2015-06/2016, The Laboratory for Multifunctional Ferroic Materials , Department of Materials, ETH Zurich, Switzerland, Postdoctoral Researcher.

12/2012-11/2014, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK, Postdoctoral Research Associate

09/2006-04/2012, Department of Physics and Physical Oceanography, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. Johns, NL, Canada, Teaching Assistant.

09/2005-08.2006, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Koc University,  Sariyer, Istanbul, Turkey, Teaching Assistant.

Education

9/2008-0.5/2013 Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Condensed Matter Physics, Department of Physics and Physical Oceanography, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, Canada

09/2006-09/2008 Master of Science (M.Sc.), Department of Physics and Physical Oceanography, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, Canada

09/2001-07/2005 Bachelor of Science, Department of Physics, Middle East Technical University (METU), Ankara,Turkey                                                      

09/2000-06/2001, School of Foreign Languages, METU

Publications

1. E.K.H. Salje, O. Aktas, and X. Ding, Functional topologies in (multi-)ferroic materials: the ferroelastic template, in Topological Structures in Ferroic  Materials, edited by J. Seidel  (Switzerland, Springer, 2016)

2. G.F. Nataf, O. Aktas, T. Granzow, and E.K.H. Salje, Influence of defects and domain walls on dielectric and mechanical resonances in LiNbO3, Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter 28, 015901 (2015)

3. O. Aktas, M.A. Carpenter, E.K.H. Salje, Elastic softening of leucite and the lack of polar domain boundaries, American Mineralogist 100, 2159 (2015)

4. J. Aufort, O. Aktas, M.A. Carpenter, and E.K.H. Salje, Effect of pores and grain size on the elastic and piezoelectric properties of quartz-based materials, American Mineralogist 100, 1165 (2015)

5. E.K.H. Salje, X. Ding, and O. Aktas, Domain Glass, Physica Status Solidi B 251, 2061 (2015)

(invited paper)

6. E. Dul’kin, E.K.H. Salje, O. Aktas, and Roger Whatmore, Ferroelectric precursor behavior in PbSc0.5Ta0.5O3 detected by  acoustic emission: tweed and polar nanoregions,, Applied Physics Letters 105, 212901 (2014)

7. O. Aktas and E.K.H. Salje, Functional twin boundaries and tweed microstructures: a comparison between minerals and device materials, Mineralogical Magazine 78, 1725 (2014)

8. O. Aktas, S. Crossley, M.A. Carpenter, and E.K.H. Salje, Polar correlations and defect induced ferroelectricity in cryogenic KTaO3, Physical Review B 90, 165309 (2014)

9. E.K.H. Salje, O. Aktas, M.A. Carpenter, V.V. Laguta, and J.F. Scott, Domains within Domains and Walls within Walls: Evidence for Polar Domains in Cryogenic SrTiO3, Physical Review Letters 111, 247603 (2013)

10. O. Aktas, E.K.H. Salje, S. Crossley, G. I. Lampronti, R.W. Whatmore, N.D. Mathur, and M.A. Carpenter, Ferroelectric precursor behavior in PbSc0.5 Ta0.5O3 detected by field-induced resonant piezoelectric spectroscopy, Physical Review B 88, 174112 (2013) (Editor’s suggestion).

11. O. Aktas, E.K.H. Salje, and M.A. Carpenter, Polar precursor ordering in BaTiO3 detected by resonant piezoelectric spectroscopy, Applied Physics Letters 103, 142902 (2013)

12. O. Aktas, E.K.H. Salje, and M.A. Carpenter, Resonant ultrasonic spectroscopy and resonant piezoelectric spectroscopy in ferroelastic lead phosphate, Pb3(PO4)2, Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter 25, 465401 (2013)

13. O. Aktas, G. Quirion, T. Otani, and T. Kimura, First order ferroelastic transition in a magnetoelectric multiferroic: CuCrO2, Physical Review B 88, 224104 (2013)

14. O. Aktas, K.D. Truong, G. Balakrishnan, M.J. Clouter, T. Kimura, and G. Quirion, Raman scattering study of delafossite magnetoelectric multiferroic compounds: CuFeO2 and CuCrO2, Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter  24, 036003 (2012)

15. G. Quirion, W. Wu, O. Aktas, J. Rideout, M. J. Clouter, and B. Mróz, Landau Model for the elastic properties of the ferroelastic crystal Rb4LiHi3(SO4)4, Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter 21, 455901 (2009)

16. O. Aktas, M. J. Clouter and G. Quirion, Soft optic mode in ferroelastic Rb4LiHi3(SO4)4, Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter 21 285901 (2009)